Christmas Fluff
by SuperSugarCrash
Summary: Drabbles about Christmas!  Starting on chapter four, a new series involving Christmas.  The rest are drabbles... Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Deryn peered out the window, trying to see through the frosted glass. Outside, snowflakes fluttered in the dark sky. It seemed so dark, yet at the same time, so beautiful. It was like a long, intricate dance of twisting, twirling snow.

"Da, how is Santa supposed to drive his sleigh through that blizzard?" Deryn asked, climbing onto his lap and cuddling her head against his chest. He smiled down at her, and ruffled her hair gently.

"He has a light that guides him." He whispered in her ear. The five-year old looked up curiously. "Like my torch?"

Artemis Sharp chuckled. "No, birdie, not like your torch."

Deryn frowned. "Then what is it?" She scratched her head, trying to make sense of it all. Shouldn't Santa Claus have a torch?

Her da smiled softly. "He has reindeer. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. And don't forget Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer."

"How can a reindeer have a red nose?" Deryn asked, puzzled.

"He's a special reindeer. Have you ever heard the song 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'?"

Deryn shook her head. Her da gently stood up, and carried her to the piano. Delighted, she sat beside him as he began to plink out the tune, and he started singing.

"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer  
>had a very shiny nose.<br>And if you ever saw him,  
>you would even say it glows.<p>

All of the other reindeer  
>used to laugh and call him names.<br>They never let poor Rudolph  
>join in any reindeer games.<p>

Then one foggy Christmas Eve  
>Santa came to say:<br>"Rudolph with your nose so bright,  
>won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"<p>

Then all the reindeer loved him  
>as they shouted out with glee,<br>Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,  
>you'll go down in history!"<p>

He finished the song softly, as was his usual way. "Now, Birdie, it's high time for you to go to bed."

"Must I?" Deryn whined. "Couldn't I stay up and meet Santa?"

Her da shook her head, and picked her up. "Sleep, and maybe next Christmas you'll get to see him."

He tucked her in bed, and turned out the light. Deryn yawned, and whispered softly, "I'll see him, tonight, da." The door shut with a soft thunk, enveloping her in darkness.

Deryn slowly opened her eyes, and looked out her window. It was still dark, probably one PM, judging by the stars. They twinkled happily up above, making Deryn scowl. Lucky things they were, getting to see Santa _every barking Christmas!_

Deciding she was thirsty, she scrambled out of bed, inwardly cursing her night-gown. She pulled her hair back, and opened her door. The house was silent, and her footsteps echoed around the walls. She got her glass of water, and sipped it quietly. Suddenly, she wondered if Santa had come. _Better check… _She decided, and detoured to the living room.

The door slowly creaked open, and Deryn slipped inside. The tree's lights were twinkling, run by natural lighting. That was when Deryn saw the husky figure sitting by the tree, carefully putting a few presents in front of it. He stood up, and turned around to get the milk and cookies. Deryn gasped.

"Santa Clause?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. The figure slowly nodded.

"I'm sorry, I'll go to bed now. I had to get a glass of water, see?" Deryn told him, already stepping out of the room. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Santa putting his hat on her head. She beamed at him, and hurried on to bed. _I think I'll always remember this Christmas… _Deryn thought, and fell asleep smiling.


	2. I Love You

Alek stared dreamily at the snowflakes making their slow descent to the ground. They landed softly on his pale skin, melting an instant later. The ground wasn't slushy, providing him a perfect place to lie down. It was what he considered to be a perfect winter morning, a soft snow fresh with the smell of a new day. And most importantly was the woman lying beside him, watching the same delightful view as himself.

He fingered the soft velvet case in his coat pocket, wondering when the right moment would be. Would she say yes? Or would she decline? There was no way of knowing… until he asked. But he couldn't, not yet. Not when she looked so peaceful, lying beside him. He let out an exasperated groan, earning a curious glance from the one beside him.

"You all right?" she asked, concern etching her face. She looked so beautiful like that…

He nodded, and smiled slightly. "Just thinking, that's all." She nodded, and went back to her reverie. Strange… she was normally curious about this sort of thing.

They lay there for awhile, until Alek noticed her cheeks getting red. He stood up, and offered his hand to her. She smiled, and took it gratefully. They began trudging through the snow, making small talk.

"The snow has come out nice and early this year." She noted.

Alek nodded. "Where I come from, the snow would be up to our necks."

She laughed the musical laugh he loved to hear. "I highly doubt that, but if you say so."

They walked on in silence. It was right then and there that Alek felt a sudden impact in his side, sending him sprawling into a snowdrift. She landed on top of him, giggling.

"You looked so lost, I couldn't resist." She leaned down and pecked his cheek happily, and rolled off of him. Alek laughed as well, and stood up.

"Do you love me?" he asked. Alek winced, realizing he had caught her off guard.

"Aye, I do. Why?" she asked slowly, looking shocked by his question.

"Because… I… It's just…" Alek sputtered, then took a deep breath. He knelt in front of her, and took out the velvet case. He flipped it open, revealing a silver band with a small diamond in the center.

"Deryn Sharp… Will you marry me?" Alek asked, looking up into her pale blue eyes.

In answer, he felt a pair of lips press against his, mumbling "Yes, oh yes," over and over again

_Fluff! All right, I decided to turn this one shot into a series of Christmas/Winter stories/one shots! Please review!_


	3. A Homey Feel

Deryn cupped her cocoa in her hands, feeling its heat seep into her skin, the warmth traveling slowly throughout her body. She blew softly, to cool it down slightly, but not so much as it becomes cool. The steam had slowly died down, allowing her to take small sips without burning her tongue. All that remained of the marshmallows was a sticky clump, gathering at the tipped edge. She had to carefully avoid them, noting that the sugar should be savoured at the end of her drink.

The smooth liquid rolled onto her tongue, a warm sweetness. She gave a small sigh of relief, and leaned back into the rocking chair.

Deryn could hear the logs cracking and snapping among the fiery flames in the hearth. They were burning a soft orange, flickering like dancing ballerinas. Hanging from the mantel were five stockings, just above the flame's reach. She read the names etched along the top of the socks.

_Alek… Deryn… Bailey… Ben… Taylor._

Her auntie's and her ma had made them, carefully embroidering pictures to give the otherwise drab socks life. Taylor's had a drawing of a teddy bear, clad in a scarf and mittens. A snowman seemed to dance along Ben's, waving its top hat to all. Bovril, wearing a santa hat, was crawling along the heel of Bailey's. The toddler loved him more than anything.

Alek had a gingerbread man, complete with gumdrops and icing that seemed to pop out of the image. Deryn smiled a bit at that. He had taken an automatic liking to her ma's gingerbread, claiming it was the best he had ever had. It opened many opportunities for Deryn to tease his new-found interest for 'common' food.

The last one was of a reindeer, with a red nose at that. Its head was bowed in greeting.

"_For our flying light forever dancing in the sky."_ Deryn's ma had said, right before Deryn had smacked her playfully. She did like that, though, the 'flying' part. Reminded her of her da, his balloons and… the Leviathan. She let out a long sigh, and shut her eyes, remembering that wonderful ship and her time spent on it.

Newkirk had been visiting once in a while, and Nora and Volger lived as neighbours, with their twelve year old daughter, Crystal. Captain Hobbes even showed up sometimes. Last Thanksgiving, Lillit had popped in to meet everyone.

_All loose ends are tied… _Deryn thought contentedly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps creaking on the hardwood floor. Her eyes snapped open. "Yes?"

Deryn felt his strong, sturdy arms wrap around her seconds later. She smirked, and swatted him playfully.

"The tree is beautiful." His breath tickled her ear, and his soft voice was the perfect sound to her setting.

"Aye, it is. Our children are supreme decorators." She whispered back, equally soft.

The tree was beautiful, but not how most imagined it. The kid's had plenty of hand-made decorations scattered among the tree, and the lights had been strung at random. Deryn wasn't kidding when she said that they had decided to put a decoration on _every single branch._ The angel at the tope was something they had all made together. No, it wasn't what you normally think of when you hear 'Christmas tree', but it gave off a homey feeling. To them, it was perfect.

She felt his mouth's corners turn up slightly. "Maybe we should get them to redecorate completely."

"Aye." Deryn flashed a wicked grin. "Wouldn't that give everyone a heart attack?"

The couple chuckled together, when they heard a higher giggle accompany their own.

"Heart attack. _Mr. _Sharp."

_More holiday fluff for you wonderful people! Thank you to all of my reviewers. You really made my day! There are only 606 words, but I promise the next one will be longer! (If I can find into inspiration…)_


	4. Christmas Vacation Chapter One

The lamp post flickered softly in the middle of the dark winter night. The glass had a coat of grime, dimming the light considerably. The dark metal that held the post was rusted, dented and missing a few chunks. It added a dark mood to the night, and it didn't help that the snow had turned to a brown slush, trickling along cracked and old sidewalks.

In the middle of this gloom was the faint jingle of bells, announcing the arrival of a horse-drawn carriage. A tall, majestic creature, it clearly didn't fit in with its surrounding. Its muscles bulged under a fine coat of charcoal fur, giving it a lean, fighting look. The mane had been scattered by the wind, giving the animal; if you could call it that; a wild, yet at the same time tame look.

Its hoofs sloshed through the melting snow, and everyone once in a while you could hear its hooves clicking against the rare spot of paving stones along the deserted street.

The carriage it was pulling was nothing too fancy. It was simple, as its only purpose was to transport. However, inside the carriageways a family of five. A wonderful family, definitely, though a bit peculiar at the same time. At the time, they were bickering.

"Ma, I'm telling you! We can't go to this stupid cabin!" Taylor whined. Sixteen years old, and she was angry at the fact that her parents were making her come along for the Christmas vacation. Didn't she want to spend time with them?

"Yes, we can. And wearer. Right now, actually." Deryn muttered, leaning her head against the window.

"What about all my friends? What will they think? What will Philip think?" Taylor complained.

Deryn sighed, and chose not to answer her. It was already late at night, and Ben, fourteen, was watching outside the window, trying to avoid the argument. Ale was currently driving the cab, and Bailey was currently sleeping, curled up in a corner of the carriage.

Answer me!" Taylor hissed, obviously annoyed.

"Honey, please, let's try and make this vacation agreeable. I know you don't want to come, but we're already halfway there." Deryn pleaded. She said this softly, not wanting to awaken Bailey.

"No!" Taylor muttered, and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew her mom was only speaking softly because of Bailey, so she made sure to think of thanking the girl. Otherwise, knowing the temper her mom had, Taylor would be in huge trouble. Yet she was angry, and wasn't going to give in. She sulked, scooting away as far from her mom as possible.

Deryn sighed at her daughter's temper, knowing who she had gotten it from. Lately, she and Taylor hadn't been getting along very well. Deryn was hoping this vacation would change that.

Soon, the coach arrived at the cabin she and Alek had bought. Most of the time, they rented itout to their friends, but they had finally decided to actually live in it. It was their first time, and no one really knew what to expect.

The cabin's walls had been made from logs, stuck together with a strong plaster. Over the years, the grains in the wood had darkened, giving it a homey feel. The front door was strong and sturdy, didn't creak when Deryn cautiously pushed the door open. She fumbled for the switch. Alek had installed electric lighting, so they didn't have to worry about fires. As soon as the light flickered on, she gasped in surprise.

The cabin had wooden flooring, but was so worn down it was smooth to the touch. The hearth sat at the far end of the room, with five stockings hanging from the mantel. A beautiful Christmas tree sat in the corner, twinkling merrily. A few leather armchairs and a long couch sat in front of the fireplace, smooth and unwrinkled. Deryn walked further into the cabin, staring in amazement. The kitchen wasn't large, but just the right size. Not very high-tech, but had enough to make cooking easy.

There were four bedrooms. Deryn took a quick glance in each one. The first was the master bedroom, where she and Alek would be sleeping. The second was right next totem, and was obviously meant for Bailey. Next was Ben's, and the last was Taylor's. A washroom was right across the hall. Deryn gave a sigh of relief. The house had all that they needed… This wasn't the first time she had seen it, of course, but back then it had been empty. Now, it had transformed into what she hoped would be the perfect place to make new memories.

Deryn walked back to the main entrance, and found Alek carrying a still sleeping Bailey. He carried her to her room, and then walked back to Deryn, smiling like a loon.

"You like what I've done with the place?" Alek asked, beaming. He was acting like he had just won a barking medal!

"It's nice…" Deryn acknowledged, pretending to be non-interested. His face fell.

"Oh…"

Deryn couldn't help it, and burst out laughing. She pecked Alek's cheek.

"I love it!"

Alek smiled down at her, and was about to say something (Probably something utterly romantic) when they heard Ben make a gagging sound. They both twirled around to see their other two children watching them.

You two are so inappropriate." Taylor said bitterly. She was already storming off to her room. Seconds later, the door slammed shut.

"I'm going to bed." Ben muttered, and hurried off to his own room.

Deryn leaned into Alek's arms, sighing sadly. Alek rested her chin in her hair, causing her to scowl. He had grown taller than her, and even though it had been quite a few years, she still hadn't gotten over it.

"We should get to sleep too. We're not going to get much tonight, anyway." Alek noted, already leading her to their room.

"Taylor and Ben won't get much sleep either. Really, Bailey will be the only one who gets a good night of sleep." Alek continued. They both got ready for bed, and climbed under the sheets.

"Let's hope she makes us happy tomorrow. I have a feeling that we're going to need it." Deryn muttered, snuggling up next to her husband. Alek didn't answer. Soon, the two were fast asleep.

Bailey woke up to sunlight streaming in through the crack in her shutters. She stretched, yawned, andsat up slowly, taking in her new surroundings. Her bedspread was decorated with dozens of cute animals, and was soft to the touch. She smiled at the large teddy bear lying next to her. So, her parents had remembered to bring Lemons after all. She hugged the teddy bear to her chest, and looked down at her owl pyjamas. She was glad she had changed into them before the trip; otherwise she would have fallen asleep in her clothes. And that wouldn't have been very comfortable.

She swung her legs over the sides of the bed, and got up. She walked over to the window and flung the shutters open, and opened the window. The cold hit her face softly, causing her to smile. It wasn't too cold, but not too warm, either. She hoisted herself up onto the window sill, and let her legs hang over the window sill. The cold hit her immediately, and she laughed in delight. The twelve year old loved the snow.

Bailey couldn't help herself, and began to sing a small song she made up on the spot. It was about her liking potatoes and wanting to eat them for breakfast… Bailey's voice was sweet, sounding innocent. Yet at the same time, it was beautiful. Her voice squeaked on a few parts of her song, but her voice wasn't perfect. She was happy with her singing voice.

Her legs were getting cold, dangling over the snow, so she pulled them inside. She clambered in, and shut the window.

She slipped on her rabbit slippers, smiling at their softness, and softly tiptoes out into the hallway. She could hear the snores coming from each room, and knew that she was the only one awake. Well, except Bovril. Mom and Dad had set up a little bed for him, and he was watching her now with warm eyes.

"Come here, Bovril." Bailey whispered softly, creeping over to him. She held out her arm, and grinned as she clambered up it and onto her shoulder. The Perspicacious Loris nuzzled into the crook of her neck, and whispered "Cold".

"Aye, it is cold. Why don't we make some _warm _breakfast for everyone?" Bailey whispered back. He seemed to nod as she walked into the kitchen, muttering ideas under her breath. She searched the refrigerator and the cupboards, but didn't find any food. All she found was hot chocolate powder.

"Seems like mom and dad didn't plan this here. Well, I guess we're having cocoa for breakfast." She muttered, boiling water. After a bit more scavenging, she found some marshmallows, which she plopped into the now steaming cocoa.

"Now comes the hard part. Waking everyone up."

Bailey knew she had only a small amount of time before the hot chocolate grew cold. Sighing, she got up, avoiding Bovril's scrutinizing gaze.

"Well, I've got to try." She argued, clearing her throat. The girl was sure she saw the Loris shake its head sadly at her. She ignored it, and…

Starting screaming! She heard a crash, then footsteps running out of doors. Soon, her whole family was assembled before her. She stopped screaming.

"I made cocoa! But you lazy butts weren't up yet, so I got you up!" She said cheerfully, handing out drinks. Taylor simply glared at her, but accepted her drink. Ben didn't say anything, but accepted his drink as well. Mom and Dad, however, were much angrier.

"Bailey, I want to sleep." Her mom muttered, snatching the cocoa and storming off to bed.

"For once, I agree…" Her dad mumbled, taking his cocoa gentler and kissing the top of her head. He also went back to bed.

Bailey shrugged. Her family was always like this in the mornings, and she wasn't one to question it. After all, this was what families were for, right?

_One thousand seven hundred words! This took up four word document pages… Hope you liked it! Oh, and tell me if you want me to continue it! Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. You guys encouraged me to write this. Please review!_


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